Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

As they moved away from the bustling hall, the surroundings grew quiet.
Jeho had been tense throughout the entire 100-day celebration, but now his tension had reached its peak.

In contrast, Seong Guk-eon appeared relaxed even when dealing with influential True Clan members inside the hall, and even now, he maintained a calm demeanor.
The only time Seong Guk-eon had let his expression falter was when Jeho had called him here.
‘But Seong Guk-eon quickly smiled again.’

Seong Guk-eon responded to Jeho’s words with a smile, as though he had been waiting for this moment.
Jeon Mu-young was the same.
Unlike Seong Guk-eon, who remained relaxed, Jeon Mu-young appeared somewhat ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) stiff. But when he heard Jeho’s words, his expression shifted noticeably.

Jeho’s two disciples, with smiles on their faces, followed him.
“This place in the Huangmyeong Tower... I didn’t know it existed. When I visited here for another event before, I didn’t notice it.”
“Judging by the disorientation barrier, this seems like a space created for the VIPs of Huangmyeong to have private conversations.”

The place Jeho had guided them to was a small lounge.
It wasn’t large, according to the layout map provided by Huangmyeong Tower, but it was beautifully furnished.
The colors and textures of the decorations, inspired by tigers, along with the sofa and table, were all perfectly designed to entertain distinguished guests.

Despite being an unfamiliar place, neither Seong Guk-eon nor Jeon Mu-young showed any signs of being cautious and comfortably took a seat.
‘Even after almost being assassinated recently, they’re still not being cautious?’
Looking at Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-young’s faces, Jeho’s concerns shifted.

Their faces were full of trust.
Had they come to trust the Hojo family after the recent series of events?
Jeho wondered, but he also knew them well enough as their teacher.

It didn’t seem like they trusted the Hojo family as much as they trusted him.
Jeho had suspected this for a while, but now, the hypothesis he had been trying to ignore seemed to solidify.
‘That’s right. They already know who I am...’
The thought that they knew made it even harder for Jeho to speak.

No matter what he said, no matter what Seong Guk-eon or Jeon Mu-young said, Jeho knew they would forgive him.
He felt incredibly cowardly.
“We can wait as long as needed until you’re ready to speak, Teacher.”

When Jeho couldn’t bring himself to speak, Seong Guk-eon gently spoke up.
Jeho responded in a defeated tone.
“It’s almost like you already know why I called you here.”

“Haha, you’re the main character of the celebration, aren’t you? I didn’t expect you to call us today. I just hoped you would.”
Seong Guk-eon spoke with a bright smile, and Jeho’s heart gradually began to ease.
Since his student days, Seong Guk-eon had always had a way of making others feel at ease.

With Seong Guk-eon’s smile, combined with Jeok-ho and Ung-nyeo’s warm farewells earlier, Jeho felt more courage rise within him.
Jeho finally spoke after gathering his thoughts.
“The reason I called you here is to explain in detail what the Hojo family went through during the typhoon and what secrets were behind those events. As a member of the Hojo family, and as your teacher.”

Jeho then recounted a long story.
It included the Hojo and Ung families’ conflict, the meaning behind the black tiger’s absence and revival, and Jeho’s birth.
Jeho told the story calmly, without putting emotion into it, but as he spoke, Jeon Mu-young’s eyes reddened, and he lowered his head.

When Seong Guk-eon noticed, he gently gripped Jeon Mu-young’s shoulder, and Jeon Mu-young slowly raised his head to listen to the rest of Jeho’s words.
After Jeho finished, he braced himself for a long, heavy silence.
But Seong Guk-eon broke that silence almost immediately.

“I’m glad you finally told us, Teacher.”
Seong Guk-eon smiled brightly, just like when he succeeded in his first examination.
Jeho could tell it wasn’t a forced smile for his sake.

‘Jeon Mu-young hasn’t experienced a funeral, but Seong Guk-eon has. He lost his teacher in his childhood due to his involvement with me—how could he smile about this?’
Since the Yonggung incident, Jeho had gotten into the habit of trying to look at things from another perspective.
If someone like his teacher, Cheong-ho, or Baek Ho-gun had done something similar to him, Jeho knew it would have been incredibly painful, even if he understood the circumstances.

He would have been extremely happy knowing they were alive, but the mixed emotions would have been unavoidable.
Jeho couldn’t hold back any longer and asked.
“How can you express gratitude and joy toward someone who deceived you?”

“I might have felt that way when I first realized it. But once I knew you were alive, I quickly forgot about it.”
Seong Guk-eon answered without hesitation.
Seeing him smile so brightly, Jeho felt all the dark feelings fade away.

With the way Seong Guk-eon brushed off such a heavy topic with a smile, Jeho was reminded once again of how much depth Seong Guk-eon had.
Unlike Jeho, who was prepared to endure the sense of betrayal and the slander that might follow, neither Seong Guk-eon nor Jeon Mu-young expressed any negative emotions.
“When did you figure it out?”

“I have a good intuition. You know that too, don’t you?”
Seong Guk-eon said, not hiding his joy.
“Thank you for inviting me to your 100-day celebration. Thanks to that, I got to hear this important story and realized how much we’re alike. If we had met when we were younger, I could have played tricks on you, but I’m sorry that we didn’t.”

“Just hearing that gives me chills. If that happened, we’d probably get involved with Yang Je-gun.”
“Haha! If that happened, the Dragon King might really descend!”
Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-young began joking lightly about the past.

At the mention of old times, Jeho’s face turned red as if it were burning.
If Jeho and Seong Guk-eon’s rebellious, troublemaking days had overlapped, it surely would have led to a big disaster.
“It would have been fun to meet as peers, but I’m glad I became your teacher. If you weren’t at Eungwang High back then, I would have been more twisted, and more students would have suffered.”

“That’s too much praise. Even without me, you would have led the other students well. I was a completely useless teacher back then…”
“Useless teacher?”
Before Jeho could finish, Jeon Mu-young suddenly raised his voice.

“Didn’t you put your teaching position on the line to protect the students involved in the dormitory incident? Back then, Chairman Huangmyeong had stepped back from the frontlines, and he couldn’t actively support you, but you…”
“Mu-young.”
Seong Guk-eon stopped him.

Jeon Mu-young realized he had gotten too excited and apologized quietly, but it didn’t seem like he regretted saying it.
Jeho’s mind grew tangled.
‘They must have investigated my past identity.’

He had once put his teaching position on the line, but it was simply a natural action for someone in his position to protect students. Jeho’s teaching record was safe, even after he changed his identity.
Before changing his identity, Jeho had erased any records tied to this matter, but it seemed like the two of them had figured it out.
Jeho felt sorry that he had burdened them with unnecessary worries.

Perhaps to spare Jeho from talking more about the matter, Seong Guk-eon changed the topic.
“When your parents called you ‘Jeho,’ they must have been very happy.”
Jeho thought of Jeok-ho and Ung-nyeo calling his name.

Just like Seong Guk-eon said, every time they called him by name, it made him feel both embarrassed and incredibly happy.
Seong Guk-eon seemed to see right through him as he spoke with a gentle smile.
“If you call me ‘Guk-eon’ again and speak casually, I’ll be happy. Of course, if you do the same with Mu-young…”

“He’ll be happy.”
Jeon Mu-young said, his eyes wide open.

It was rare for Jeon Mu-young to interrupt Seong Guk-eon, but he seemed still shaken by his emotions.

While Jeho was speaking for a long time, whenever he couldn’t continue, Seong Guk-eon would change the subject, but this time, he seemed unwilling to give way, so he waited.
Finally, Jeho opened his mouth with difficulty, calling his students.
“Guk-eon, Mu-young… thank you for waiting.”

“It’s nothing, Teacher.”
After that, the three of them spent time together, reminiscing about old stories.
Jeho, who had once acted like a descendant of the Hojo family in his speech, now took on the role of a teacher reuniting with his long-lost students.

Seong Guk-eon expressed the joy of talking with his teacher after so long.
Had it been in the past, Jeho would have been too embarrassed and guilty to speak at length, but thanks to Jeok-ho and Ung-nyeo’s early encouragement, the conversation flowed more naturally.
Before long, it was time for Jeho, as the protagonist of the 100-day celebration, to make his appearance.

As Seong Guk-eon wrapped up the conversation, he said.
“Thankfully, we weren’t interrupted.”
“Interrupted?”

“Your friend wouldn’t miss this fun show, would he?”
Only then did Jeho realize.
With the weight of the conversation ahead, he hadn’t thought of that massive obstacle.

‘If it’s that dragon, he would have tried to interfere or eavesdrop no matter what.’
The thought of Yang Je-gun gave Jeho a headache.
Although he couldn’t sense any dragon energy nearby, he was worried Yang Je-gun might be scheming something worse.

Seong Guk-eon seemed to have solved Jeho’s worries.
“Luckily, it seems that a competent and considerate junior stopped him.”
“Are you talking about Yi-shin?”

After opening the door and scanning the surroundings, Seong Guk-eon spoke confidently.
It seemed Seong Guk-eon’s eyes, filled with Ineungpa, had spotted traces of Jo Yi-shin.
“Yes, our benefactor and yours.”

To sum it up, they succeeded in stopping Yang Je-gun.
As soon as I realized where Yang Je-gun was heading, I worked with Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-young to ensure they wouldn’t be disturbed during their long-awaited reunion with their teacher.
Fortunately, we had plenty of help this time.

“This is an important conversation for the teacher. I won’t let anyone interrupt.”
Ahn Da-in, having figured out what was going on, immediately offered her assistance.
When Ahn Da-in and I moved, the Eungwang High students didn’t know what was happening, but as soon as they heard the name “Yang Je-gun,” they understood and promised to cooperate.

Even the white tiger, who had only been observing, seemed to think he couldn’t stay silent this time and joined us.
Cheong-ryong, initially confused, eventually nodded his head and helped.
In the end, the heads of the Hojo and Youhye-ye clans, and the ace of Eungwang High, teamed up for a major operation, and we succeeded in sealing Yang Je-gun.

“I’m sad I couldn’t see the scene myself, but I think it’ll be good to hear about it from Jeho later.”
Would Kim Shin-rok really say that so easily?
I wondered, but Yang Je-gun, confident as ever, said.

“Just let him say it. If it’s in front of Yi-shin, he’ll be twice as embarrassed. I’d
like him to join in.”
Wouldn’t it be even harder to hear if that happened?

I thought negatively as I looked at Yang Je-gun, who was tied to the pillar.
The door in the corner of the hall opened, and Seong Guk-eon, Jeon Mu-young, and Kim Shin-rok appeared, their faces now much brighter.
Thanks to securing Yang Je-gun’s route with my ability, the operation was a great success, as suggested by Cheon Dong-hak.

“They’re going to take a group photo soon. Shouldn’t we just keep Yang Je-gun tied up for that?”
“Huh? Do I have to take a picture tied up?”
Everyone unanimously agreed with Cheon Dong-hak’s suggestion.

Thanks to the sealing of Yang Je-gun, the 100-day celebration was completed smoothly, but another celebration was ahead of me.
The celebration for gamers playing “God Game,” the PlayerZ World Championship finals, was about to begin.